Take it From the Top:
by outofplace.underdressed
Summary: Marceline and Princess Bubblegum meet and develop a relationship. But how do they go from that to what we see in What was Missing?


Take it From the Top, Chapter 1: Aquaintance.

Princess Bubblegum pushed the strand of hair away from Marceline's eyes, staring deeply into the inky black that filled them so beautifully. Marceline's heart skipped a beat as the princess moved in closer, and she was instantly surrounded by her scent, Bubblegum's face so close to her own that she could see nothing else. As their lips met, she reached for the princess's waist and pulled her body closer, simultaneously lowering her to the couch. Her hand found its way to the bottom of Bubblegum's skirt, and she pulled it up, her hand sliding against the princess's thigh. She pulled her dress off feverishly, drinking in the sight of her near naked body. She leant in and gave the princess's neck a playful kiss, and then followed the hollow above her collarbone down towards her breasts. She hovered for a moment, her gaze meeting Bubblegum's, and she knew there was no one else she'd rather be with.

She relished every moment she spent on the couch that afternoon. She couldn't stop thinking about how she and Bubblegum had gotten there. Just two days prior they had met for the first time. Both had heard of the other before in passing, but never had the two crossed paths.

That morning began like any other for Princess Bubblegum, she awoke to the sound of Peppermint Butler opening the curtains and she rose to survey the Kingdom. She stood at the tall, open window, sleepily looking out at the candy houses and their inhabitants, seeing that everything looked well in the Candy Kingdom. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and she looked up, missing whatever had sped past her window. She frowned, but dismissed it as a bird and readied herself for her duties.  
The day proved to be relatively uneventful, except for news of a pack of Why-Wolves making a cave their home on the outskirts of town. The princess promised to have them taken care of, but she wasn't sure that her Banana Guard were up to a job like that.

Around noon, Princess Bubblegum returned to the lab after lunch.

She inhaled deeply as she entered the double doors into the lab. She smelt the familiar smell of chemicals and cleaning products, but then an unfamiliar scent filled her nostrils. It was like a faint perfume, a beautiful fragrance she knew she'd never smelt before. She did a quick surveillance of the room, and a pair of knee-high red boots caught her eye. Her eyes followed the long, thin legs upward, trailing over a slender body in a pair of ripped jeans and a tank top. Her eyes finally met those of a tall, very pale woman around her own age. She gasped as she saw the teeth marks on her neck and the woman laughed charismatically, the sound echoing throughout the room.

"Hello," The woman said, her voice playful and teasing, "I'm Marceline. The _Vampire_ Queen."  
Princess Bubblegum was taken aback. What was a _vampire _doing in her lab? In the middle of the day, no less?

"I'm... Princess Bubblegum." The princess announced, quieter than she'd planned. Marceline raised a single eyebrow.

"I know," she said, "I mean, doesn't everyone?" The princess looked at the ground for a moment and then back up, meeting the vampire's gaze fiercely.  
"What do you need? I'm _very _busy." Marceline glanced around the room at the clean tables, and closed cupboards, and it was clear to her that the princess was not busy at all.  
"I'm sure you are. It's just, I heard about that Why-Wolf problem you've got... I just thought you might like a hand getting them out of your—" in a flash the vampire was beside her, pulling a long strand of hair behind her shoulder and moving in towards her ear, "—hair." Bubblegum jerked away from the vampire's touch, blushing and bumbling.

"I- Well I mean- If you _think _you can handle them, go right ahead." Bubblegum felt bad for being impolite, but the vampire had really put her off guard by suddenly getting so close.  
"Fine, I will. I'll be seeing you later..." The vampire said with a wink, and she was gone before Bubblegum could say another word.

The princess stood there, flustered for a few more minutes. _What a strange interaction_, she thought. _How could someone so new, so unknown cause such a stir in one person's day? _ She promised herself that for the rest of the day she wouldn't think about Marceline, she needed to get some work done. Of course after that, she could think of nothing else.


End file.
